Strong voice is important in all fiction, but it's vital in middle grade. 

Why? 

Because kids between 8 and 12, who are almost ready to leave early childhood behind and embark on big adventures, need a safe way to do so. 

How do they do it? 

Through the characters in middle-grade novels who are living the life they want to live.

If your characters have strong voice, your book becomes memorable because voice helps the story flow with just the right amount of emotional complexity a kid can connect with and relate to.  

This means that voice in a middle-grade novel is closely related to how engaged your readers will be with your story. 

In this episode, we look at:

1. what middle-grade voice is 
2. why middle-grade voice matters
3. an example of strong voice in Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate
4. tips for developing strong middle-grade voice

I've created a PDF handout you can download that sums up the episode: loupiccolo.com/voice

For show notes, transcripts and links mentioned in the episode, visit my website
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